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Europe

European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC)
not-for-profit association of independent children’s rights institutions (ICRIs). Its mandate is to facilitate the promotion and protection of the rights of children, as formulated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. ENOC links independent offices for children from twenty four countries in Europe. Its aims are:to encourage the fullest possible implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the child, to support collective lobbying for children’s rights, to share information, approaches and strategies, and to promote the development of effective independent offices for children.
 

Child on Europe: European Network of National Observatories on Childhood
Aims at the exchange of knowledge and information on laws, policies, programmes, statistics, studies, research, best practices regarding childhood and adolescence;
exchange of knowledge on methodology and indicators in order to obtain comparability of information and comparative analysis on specific subjects.  In the carrying out of its activities, ChildONEurope is supported by the documentation services offered by the Biblioteca Innocenti Library ( www.biblioteca.istitutodeglinnocenti.it ), which is one of the few in the world specialised in children's rights. ChildONEurope is composed of the public National Institutions (National Observatories or Centres on Childhood) indicated by Ministries competent in childhood related matters of the EU Countries that are members of the Network. The participation is based on the nomination of a National Institution or through the competent Minister: in both cases the main requirement is to be able to furnish official public data on the condition of childhood.
 

Belgium (French community)
Observatoire de l’Enfance, de la Jeunesse et de l’Aide à la Jeunesse de la Communauté française de la Belgique


The main subjects are: children and young people, education, help to the young people, children rights, cultural, sport and health services. The tasks of the observatory are: information instrument, on the policies and institutions of the French community (including data); collection and analysis of studies and researches; promotion of children rights and of related good practices.

 

France
 Observatoire National de l’Enfance en Danger (ONED)


The aim of the Observatory is to improve the knowledge in the field of childhood in danger, (prevention and care), in details: to sustain national policy on child protection, collection of data through the constant interaction with national and international workers on the field, production of publications on the subject of child protection.

Ireland
Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs


The Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs  (OMCYA) is part of the Department of Health and Children. The role of the OMCYA is to sustain the government's policy-making in all the issues concerning children (childcare, child and youth participation, child welfare and protection, early years education, youth justice services, other services, children's database) with regards to:  implementing the National Children’s Strategy (2000 – 2010);  implementing the National Childcare Investment Programme (2006 – 2010); developing policy and legislation on child welfare and child protection; implementing the Children Act 2001; implementing Towards 2016 commitments in relation to children's services.

Italy
Italian National Childhood and Adolescence Documentation and Analysis Centre
The Centre sustains Italian Government, Parliament, Regions and Local governments, in implementing information, knowledge, innovation practices and intervention's policy in the field of childhood and adolescence, especially in: documentation and research on local policy, collecting data, training for local territories.

Spain
National Child Observatory


The main objective of the Observatory is to construct a centralized Information System on wellbeing and livehood quality of children and adolescents and correspondent policies.

The Observatory works in connection with the related Ministry for Education, Social Policy and Sport, for which it produces recommendations and investigations, studies, researches and periodical  reports, Especially the Centre makes analysis of different national and international sources on childhood, keeps relations with similar international institutes, makes proposals in the context of children and mass media, distribute information on activities and studies on the topic.

Germany
German Youth Institute


The German Youth Institute is Germany´s largest non-university research institute devoted to the study of children, youth, and families. The Institute is mainly funded by the Federal Government and Germany´s Laender. Additional funds come from the European Commission and national and international foundations. The German Youth Institute employs a wide range of quantitative and qualitative research strategies and methods such as continuous social monitoring of changing living conditions and studies on specific socio-political questions. Based on its research results, the Institute provides expertise and data bases for policy makers and practicioners at the European, federal, regional, and local level. The Institute runs international research projects, participates in international conferences, and hosts foreign researchers, practitioners, and politicians.

Targets of the researches are: children, young people, families.

Poland
Ombudsman for Children


The Ombudsman for Children takes steps to ensure complete and harmonious development for children with due respect for their dignity and empowerment. The main directions of action are defined by the Law on the Ombudsman for Children which puts particular emphasis on: the right to live and to healthcare, the right to a family upbringing, the right to adequate social conditions, the right to education. The direct addressees of The Ombudsman’s action are organs of the public authorities, organisations and institutions to which the Ombudsman for Children may turn with the request for explanation and necessary information and also access to files and documents; undertaking action for the benefit of children; he also may approach them and submit his opinions and motions aimed at the effective protection of the child’s rights and welfare. The Ombudsman for Children may also turn to appropriate organs and submit a motion to take legislative initiative or to issue or alter other legal regulations. Another of the Ombudsman’s instruments is providing information about a child’s situation and suggesting concrete solutions.


The Netherlands
The Netherlands Youth Institute


The Netherlands Youth Institute (Dutch: Nederlands Jeugdinstituut) is the Dutch national institute for compiling, verifying and disseminating knowledge on children and youth matters, such as youth care, parenting support and child education. The Netherlands Youth Institute's main aim is to improve the physical, cognitive, mental and social development of children and young people by improving the quality and effectiveness of the services rendered to them and to their parents or carers.

As an expert centre, the Netherlands Youth Institute connects scientific research to the practitioners' need for knowledge. It supports the youth sector by advising on policy, programmes and implementation, and by training professionals in evidence based methods (by 'translating' scientific results into practical advice and support). The Netherlands Youth Institute covers areas such as child and youth welfare, (residential) youth care, health, justice and children's development and well-being. It is the national specialist on parenting support, community schools, child abuse and early child education.

United Kingdom
Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)


With the project “Every Child Matters: Change for Children” the British Government aims for every child, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have their needs of health, safe, enjoy, economic well-being, supported. The organisations involved with providing services to children - from hospitals and schools, to police and voluntary groups - are teaming up in new ways, sharing information and working together, to protect children and young people from harm and help them achieve what they want in life.

Romania (not yet official member of ChildONEurope)
National Authority for the Protection of Child Rights
NAPCR operates as a specialised organisation within the central public administration, is under the aegis to the Ministry of Labour, Social Solidarity and Family. NAPCR is run by a Secretary of State, who is supported by a Sub-Secretary of State and a General Secretary. NAPCR provides for the strict observance of child’s rights, in Romania, through intervention, in conformity with provisions of law, in administrative and judicial procedures concerning compliance and promotion of child’ rights. The General Directions for Social Assistance and Child’s Protection are subordinate to the city councils and, respectively, the local councils of the Bucharest municipality. The authority’s attributes cover the following main areas of activity: protection and promotion of child’s rights; preventing separation of the child from its parents and offering special protection to the child  that has been temporarily or permanently separated from its parents.

Bulgaria (not yet official member of ChildONEurope)
State Agency for Child Protection


The Chairperson of the Agency is a Council of Ministers specialized body for guidance, coordination and control in the area of child protection activities. The Chairperson with the cooperation of ministries, implementing childcare activities, develops the state policy for child protection, develops and controls national and regional child protection programs implementation, licenses natural persons and legal entities, supplying child care services, controls child rights protection etc. The Agency acts in cooperation with ministries, agencies and NGOs, working in child rights protection area.

Social Policy observatories without specific child focus

Denmark
The Danish National Centre for Social Research http://www.sfi.dk/Default.aspx?ID=2631


Within the topics developed by the Centre, there is child policy, in particular: children's inclusion in day-care institutions and schools, transition from childhood to adolescence and adulthood in different social and gender-based groups,  early intervention among children, vulnerable children, and the Danish Longitudinal Survey of Children.

Luxembourg
Centre d’Etudes de Populations, de Pauvreté et de Politiques Socio-Economiques / International Networks for Studies in Technology, Environment, Alternatives and Development


This is a public institute for research and research training on economic and social sciences.

The social issues are carried on by the Population and Labour Unit, specialized on investigations on living conditions, analysis of the labour market, social policy's evaluation.

Austria
European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research


The European Centre is a UN-affiliated intergovernmental organization concerned with all aspects of social welfare policy and research. A specific Research Area concerns Childhood, Youth & Families. Based on comparative empirical research, the Centre organizes seminars, carries out projects, and publishes books and reports on the different topics included in the area.

Slovak Republic
Slovak National Centre for Human Rights


The Centre is engaged in activities relating to the promotion and protection of human rights in Slovakia; it is also regarded as a national, specialised body“ aimed at promotion of equal treatment and combating all forms of discrimination. The Centre publishes an annual report on the observance of human rights in the Slovak Republic, and a specific report on the observance of children's rights. Other functions of the centre are: to monitor the observance of human rights, to conduct research and surveys concerning human rights and discrimination, to collect and provide information on racism in the Slovak Republic, to develop educational activities, to give legal aid and legal advice, to provide provides library services and other services in the area of human rights. The Centre provides legal advice in matters relating to discrimination, expressions of intolerance and violation of the principle of equal treatment, as well as in other cases where human rights were breached.

 

Tags: ["Europe", "Child Rights Observatories"]
Published June 5, 2009 3:38 PM - Last modified Apr. 17, 2013 4:05 PM